The Duke's Children

I am just hoping that I won't develop post-Palliser depression! Timothy West is as one with the words.... simply sublime. I so loved this series. The final sentence is one of the most brilliant in literature. Profoundly pleasurable. Thank-you.

One of Trollope's more domestic novels in which he focuses on characters we already know from their regular appearances in the Barchester novels. Action revolves around "Planty" Palliser, the Duke of Omnium, who tries to cope with the emergent independence of his three willful children after the death of his wife. Trollope lets the dynamics of the central personalities be the story. Simple motifs become engrossing through the author's great gift for drawing the reader into the motives and emotions of each character.

Finally, The Duke's Children, the last book in the Trollope's Palliser series, is on Audible! Unfortunately, Audible still does not have The Prime Minister, which precedes this final book in the Palliser series. Although it is not necessary to have read (or listened to The Prime Minister) to enjoy this story, for true fans of Trollope and the Palliser series, it would have been helped. Although I thoroughly enjoyed Trollope's story about the Duke of Omnium and his three children, "The Duke's Children" is not one of Trollope's "great" novels in the Palliser series, especially the ending, which I found flat and unsatisfying. However, what is so deliciously interesting about this novel, and makes it a must read, is Trollope's portrayal of the utter hypocrisy of the aristocracy in late Victorian England, through the character portrayal of the Duke of Omnium, the titular head of the Liberal Party. This juxtaposition and tension between the Duke's Liberal politics and conservative personal beliefs in the plot via the Duke's aspiration's for, and then treatment of his children, especially his daughter, Mary, are timeless themes and are as true today as it was over 100 years ago when Trollope wrote this novel!

The sixth book in the Palliser series is essential listening. To have followed the fortunes and misfortunes of all the characters, makes this last book so satisfying in that we know what happens to everyone. It is interesting to see how Trollope makes us aware of the changing times in the late 19th Century through the lives of all those who inhabit these wonderful books.

The Duke's Children is the last of the Palliser sequence, and probably the weakest as an actual novel. For those who have been following the adventures of Plantagenet Palliser, his family and friends from the very beginning, this final instalment immediately suffers a major blow with the premature death of Palliser's inimitable wife, Glencora, Duchess of Omnium. Over the course of a long and prolific career as a novelist, Trollope created many memorable characters, but the flighty Glencora is surely his masterpiece; so fully realised and full of life that it seems almost as incredible to the reader as to to her devastated widower, that she is dead. Always a distant, if worthy parent, Palliser suddenly finds himself like a ship without a rudder, and a virtual stranger to his three children. As his daughter and two sons enter adult life without their mother he finds himself totally ill-equipped to handle the social and emotional crises into which they precipitate him.

With Glencora gone, the burden of the plot falls mainly on her children who seem to resemble her more than their father. All of them, are shadows of their mother, and because there are three of them, the storyline sometimes lacks focus. The heir, Silverbridge, a rather limited but well-meaning young man, overly given to expensive and dubious exploits on the turf, appals his father (a former liberal prime minister) by deciding to enter politics on the Conservative side. His brother Gerald is an irresponsible university student. Their sister, Lady Mary, horrifies her father by engaging herself to a most unsuitable young ma. This makes her admittedly better than her brother, who manages to propose to two different girls at the same time, but her engagement becomes even most distressing to Palliser when he discovers that his late wife not only knew about, but encouraged the relationship. Unfortunately, none of the children are as entertaining as their late mother, and Silverbridge's bumbling forays into politics lack the incisive interest of his father's. This is not to say that The Duke's Children is a bad novel; on the contrary it is reasonably entertaining and anyone who has read the others will want to read this one. Nevertheless, it is impossible not to feel that Trollope was running out of steam when he wrote it.

As always, a brilliant reading by Timothy West.

I HAVE NOT READ THE PRINT VERSION

THE CHARACTERS WERE ALL VERY INTERESTING.

THE DUKE

THE ENDING

TIMOTHY WEST IS A WONDERFUL NARRATOR AND BRINGS THE CHARACTERS TO LIFE.

The Duke's Children is the last of the six books in the Pallisers series. Audible has each of the first four volumes but does not have the fifth book--The Prime Minister-- available for purchase. Accordingly, you cannot currently listen to these books in order. Audible has been advised of the problem for some time but as of now the penultimate book in the series remains unavailable.The Prime Minister is available to purchase from AudioGo.uk in cd format.

As with the other Trollope novels, I liked the transformation of Silverbridge from the prospective suitor of Lady Mabel to the fiance of Miss Bon Kassen (I hope I spelled that right; This is audible you know). I almost forgot the gradual coming around of the Duke of Omnium to reconcile himself tothe chosen mates of his children. Then, of course there is the steadfastness of Mary to Silverbridge which matches the steadfastness and loyalty of Mary to Frank in Doctor Thorne. There is nothing really new in this novel, though I never get tired of Trollope and his keen insight of human character, male and female.

I liked Silverbridge the best. He is frank and direct which is a refreshing change from the convolutions of Lady Mabel and the other scheming members of the upper class, especially the females who must catch a titled and wealthy man. On the other hand, I guess Silverbridge is born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth which makes it easy for him to be so honest and forthcoming.

Timothy West goes with Anthony Trollope like cream cheese goes with jelly. By the way, he doesn't imitate female voices which seems to be very awkward for a male voice. Simon Vance is also excellent but I don't like his female voice imitations. West's narrative is smooth and his reading of Silverbridge and the Duke of Omnium would be non existent if I had just read the book. Timothy West is supeb in all his Trollope readings and this is no exception.

I can't say the book was a thriller of that sort. Rather, it was like good wine which I want to sip. I knew the plot from the Masterpiece Palliser series. Like all the Trollope books it stresses characterization and you feel like you are mixing with the cream of English society, though some of them can be scoundrels and liars like Lady Eustace in Lady Eustace's diamonds. For the lower classes you will have to go to Dickens though the heroes and heroines remain in both the upper and lower classes.

I was pleasantly surprised how much I loved this story. It really is a great story about a stubborn man and his children. He has to learn to move with the times. Doesn't that happen in every family in every decade?

Keep listening, it starts kind of slow, as the Duke has just lost his beloved wife and the book has the air of that mourning over it. Once the children start acting up, so does the book. The length of this book is just right for me, not too short or too long - although I would like to continue the story!!

This book ends the Pallister story line.

it stinks - and it's long - kept on waiting for it to turn around but never did - even timothy west couldn't make this nag run.

yes but found his depiction of american women voices to be irritating - for some reason whenever an american woman speaks mr. west adopts a deeper voice.

most of it

i'm a big fan of trollope and west but this one was a stinker.